“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.” - by Stephen Hawking
之前看了三部紀錄片，參加了兩場講座：
一部是Centre for Global Health Policy推薦的【MICROBIRTH (2014)】，嘗試說明越來越流行的剖腹生產（Caesarean section）與新生兒抵抗力下降之間的關係，進而使新一代的人類更容易得到非傳染疾病（NCDs）並掏空各國衛生體系（health system）等問題。
另一部是Palestine Society at Sussex介紹的【OCCUPATION 101 (2006)】，這部得獎影片是在探究巴勒斯坦的現狀，其歷史緣由和衝突根源肇因於「錫安主義」（Zionism）自八零年代開始流行，也使得以色列越來越迷信於唯有佔領和拓墾才能復國的思維。
最後一部是Sussex Friends of Free Syria播的【Return To Homs】，其實敘利亞情勢一開始的確很單純，因為貧富不均、社會正義、自由權受到壓迫等問題，人民才開始走上街頭示威要求改革，因當局武力鎮壓，過程中部份軍人倒戈至人民一邊，內戰就此開打。
我必須承認，這是我第一次這麼認真去瞭解到底what’s going on with Syria since the Arab Spring, and how Islamic students think about the ISIS。因敘利亞國情特殊、地緣戰略位置又重要，許多外來勢力趁亂介入，最後才變成今天這種好像讓人眼花撩亂的局面，至於ISIS跟今天美國炮轟(literally)，更證實了People’s mindsets are diverse though actions to be viewed simpler。
事後的討論讓我回想起all the other similarly complicated situations and the international proxy elements that I studied about for the 2012 Jessup Competition.
至於講座分別是Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence辦的Roundtable Discussion on Queory: What Does Sex Diss Mean?跟Sussex University LGBTQ Society辦的Queer and A，在討論非性別主流社群在社會裡標籤化跟去標籤化（de-labeling）的問題，包括權力、認同、結構等爭點在性別政治裡的角色與功能。
參加那麼多活動，其實是希望從多元的角度去找找看與「健康權」（right to health）相關的各個議題之可能性，就是希望能順利在十月中前交出教授要我蒐集的case studies。
I happened to have a great opportunity getting to meet Anthony Langlois, the author, in person. This issues also grasped my big attention too...It’s fascinating to stand right at the point looking into how SOGI norms developing in international relations, both in terms of politics or law. In this sense, power can be a tool to advocate or press such a moral concept into global agendas. Frankly speaking, this pretty much reminds me of the last debates on cultural relativism with regard to death penalty and liberal democracy.
There are number of possible explanations for the ageing of the HIV-positive population, especially the success of antiretroviral therapy and a high rate of new infections among older people.
The authors believe their findings have three important implications: (1) services need to expand to address the often complex needs of people living with HIV; (2) more attention needs to be given to HIV prevention for the over 50s; (3) more needs to be done to collect accurate data about the epidemic in older people and to understand the impact of HIV on these individuals.
This is what I learned so far from QUEER POLITICS. So much vocabulary to learn:
* Gender, Sexuality & Queer
LGBT plus, qiltbag, SOGI, queergender
heterosexual <-> homosexual
polyamorous <-> monogamous
cisgender <-> transgender
asexual < cissexual < pansexual
gynosexual <-> androsexual
pedophiles < ephebophiles < androphiles < gerontophiles
The resolution was passed Sept 26 in a 25–14 vote that calls for the U.N. high commissioner for human rights to update a 2012 report on LGBT rights violations and propose practices to combat them. Seven countries abstained. The resolution as a largely symbolic as it doesn’t outline any enforcement capability. Nonetheless this is only the second time the U.N. has affirmed that LGBT rights are “human rights.”
Asia was one of two continents from where countries abstained, supported and opposed the resolution. The only other continent that had countries in all three categories was Africa.
The resolution dismissed cultural specificity to justify states allowing anti-gay policies. “While the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of states, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms,” it said.
Here are 7 issues that the mainstream LGBT rights movement should prioritize over marriage equality:
1. Queer and Trans Youth Homelessness
2. Violence Against Queer and Trans People
3. Racial Justice
4. Immigrant Justice
5. Health
6. Economic Justice
7. Trans Justice
What do you reckon though? Marriage is always not the first issue to be prioritized, but maybe it can still be seen as the first step for the SOGI movement internationally.
Turning to the UN and some other international bodies, in fact they put more focus on decriminalization, prohibition on discrimination, violence and other hate crimes.
In this regard, that’s why I’d like to concentrate more on socioeconomic rights of queers, such as healthcare, housing, education, and so on as listed above that have been neglected to somewhat extent.
The origin of the AIDS pandemic has been traced to the 1920s in the city of Kinshasa, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. A roaring sex trade, rapid population growth and unsterilised needles used in health clinics probably spread the virus.
HIV is a mutated version of a chimpanzee virus, known as simian immunodeficiency virus, which probably made the species-jump through contact with infected blood while handling bush meat.
HIV came to global attention in the 1980s and has infected nearly 75 million people. It has a much longer history in Africa, but where the pandemic started has remained the source of considerable debate.
This can be pretty controversial, but yeah, so what? Presumption of innocence is definitely one of the basic human rights, but so is the right to be free from discrimination and hate crimes. This shall also apply, as I always argue for, in international human rights law that States shall bear this kind of reverse burden of proof too.
According to a study on hate crimes, the first of its kind, published by the government, it showed that out of the 1,172 hate crimes recorded in 2013, a majority (452) were based on the victim’s sexual orientation, followed by race (381) and disabilities (290).
總覺得性產業需要的是被規制, 而不是被禁止...既然抓不勝抓, 不如讓大家浮出枱面, 比較容易管理。這點, 跟我看娛樂性藥物的感覺有點像...既然抓不完, 不如至少確保安全性及公平性。
Justice can never avoid from value judgment, but it should come from the reason rather than compassion. Neither can equality, but it must be viewed from the point of view as being instead of gaining or giving.
Knowledge as power, as revisiting Foucault, I need both.
Our people didn’t want freedom without bread nor did they seek bread without freedom, they wanted both together. And since we are a country of great human diversity with a rich cultural heritage, they insisted on roses as well - Freedom, Bread and Roses.【我們的國民要的不是沒有麵包的自由，也不是沒有自由的麵包：他們同時要自由，也要麵包。此外，由於我們擁有繽紛多元的族群和豐富的文化傳承，我們的人民也堅持追求玫瑰般絢麗綻放的精神生活。自由、麵包和玫瑰，鼎足而立。】 - Quoted from Albie Sachs’s acceptance speech on 2014 Tang Prize in Rule of Law (18 September 2014)
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